And there is little Rose, sitting in a window seat, her hair done up fancy with ribbons and a pretty pin. All straight-backed and being as good as can be. When I go past, me give her a quick smile and a wink. She check to make sure her mother not looking, then she smile right back. She must be have a sip of Winnie rum punch because when I pass, them smiles keep getting bigger and bigger.

When things start to slow down, I decide to head outside onto the balcony to get some fresh air. The room too hot and all the people them make me feel closed in. I notice even though is late, the streets still full of people coming and going bout them business. It make plantation life seem very dull and lifeless.

Round midnight some of the guests start to leave and is up to me to hand them back hats and coats, help bring up the carriages. Must be bout two in the morning when finally the last guest make him way down the stairs. Is Mister Potts and him seem to be in a bad mood. Look like I was right, him not going catch Mistress Josephine favour, not tonight.

After we do a bit of cleaning up, Winnie leave me to lock up the doors and windows so she can go to bed. ‘Me poor feet burning me. Been standing on dem since early, early this morning.’

When everything locked down tight, I head back upstairs to the parlour, bump into Mistress Josephine standing by the doorway.

‘What are you doing, boy?’

‘Cleaning up, Mistress,’ starting to put the last of the glasses on the tray.

‘Leave that until the morning.’ She pick up a candle snuffer, put out the candles one by one. The last one she leave lit, pick it up and head out the parlour. ‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ looking back at me before she turn, start up the stairs. I stand there not sure what she want me to do.

‘Come, my little mango, come,’ she say, calling down to me. ‘Come and show your mistress how juicy you are.’

Now I come to understand what it is Mistress Josephine is paying for. And with that, me feet come unstuck and I find meself leaping up the stairs, two by two.

I spend three more weeks at the home of Mistress Josephine before she feel Massa pay him debt to her. During the day she have me work on the house. Make sure every little thing get fixed up good. When she go into town to do her shopping, she sometimes have me walk behind carrying her package them. Can’t help noticing how her lady friend them always whispering and giggling behind them fans as we walk by. Mistress Josephine pay them no mind.

‘Jealous,’ she say, and laugh.